Draft appliance for railway-vehicles.



. F. PRICE.

DRAFT APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I?. 1915.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IM/vanto@ awww COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM c0.,wAsHlNaTON, D, c.

I. F. PRICE.

DRAFT APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I7. I9I5.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 entran sararns ranrvr ernten JOHN F. PRICE, OF :PITTSBURGH-I, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO THE MCOONWAY &

TORLEY COMPANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

DRAFT APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAY-VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, JOHN F. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Appliances for Railway-Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art-to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

My invention relates to the construction of draft appliances for railway vehicles, and particularly to means 'for permitting the coupler to yield laterally when the car to which it is attached moves upon curved track and for automatically restoring the coupler to normal position in the longitudinal axis of the ear uponvthe cessation of the force causing the lateral displacement of the coupler.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and efficient coupler centering mechanism which may be readily assembled and repaired without the necessity of employing special tools for that purpose. Generally stated, this object is accomplished by pivotally mounting the coupler head upon the coupler stem and by slidably mounting on said stem a frame which engages the head, said frame having mounted upon it means for centralizing the coupler stem and being yieldingly supported against rearward movement by a longitudinally extending spring which is seated on the stem, and such frame involving in its construction interiitting counterpart members which are provided with lugs that project laterally outward and also involving a transversely extending member that engages the forward sides of said lugs and connects said counterpart members.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure 1 is a plan view of a draft appliance embodying my invention, a portion of the stem of the coupler being broken away and a portion of the coupler head being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectionof the forward portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. F ig. e is a vertical section, taken in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 17, 1915.

ratenrecnee. 14,1915.

Serial No. 40,371.

` tively.

The coupler stem 2 is preferably of bifurcated form, having upper and lower branches or bars 6 between which is mounted the slidable frame that carries the laterally projecting spring-supported followers 7 by which the centralization of the coupler as a whole is effected. At its rear end the coupler stem is preferably provided with a vertically extending opening 8 which is adapted to receive the usual tail-pin (not shown) whereby the coupler may be pivotally connected` to the car or other railway vehicle through the medium of yielding draft rigging mechanism. A filler or spacing member 9 which is interposed between the branches 6 of the stem and which is preferably secured thereto by means of a rivet 10 may be conveniently employed as a Seat for the rear end of the longitudinally eX- tending spring `11 by which the slidable frame is resiliently supported.

The spring cups or followers 7 which are mounted upon thereciprocating frame respectively project outwardly `beyond the sides of the coupler stem 2 in opposite directions and normally engage stationary abutments 12 upon the car, as shown in Fig. 1.

lfnterposed between these spring-cups and bearing upon each is a transversely extending spring 13 which serves to normally maintain said spring-cups in a position of maximum separation. The extent of separation of thel spring-cups or followers 7 is preferably limited by forming the inner end of each spring-cup with flanges la which are adapted to engage the inner walls or stops 15 of the slidable frame adiacent to the openings 16 in said frame through which the respective spring-cups 7 project. lf desired. a pin or bar 17, which is loosely inserted within the spring 13, may be employed to prevent such spring from being compressed to such an extent as would be liable-to damage 1t. lThe spring-cups t and the transversely extending spring 153 cooperate with the slidable frame to centralize the coupler stem 2, as wellvas vthe coupler as a whole, as will hereinafter appear.

The slidable frame upon which the followersor spring-cups 7 are mounted V'involves longitudinally extending separable members 18, 18 and a transversely extending member- 19 by which the longitudinally extending frame members are connected transversely.' The members 18 are preferably counterparts and the transversely extending frame member 19 preferably forms a seat upon which the forward end of the longitudinally extending spring 11 bears. To maintain the spring 11 in assembled relation with the slidable frame, the rear 'face of the framemember 19 may be provided with a centrally disposed, rearwardly extending projection or thimble 20 which is4 adapted to enter the interior of the spring.

i At their forwardv ends eachof the counteri versely extending bolt 23 that may be conveniently employed as a'means for preventing the lateral separation of the forward ends of the counterpart members 18. 'i'he projections 21 preferably have interfitting engagement with each other when the parts are in assembled'relation, the engagement of the parts being of a character to cause both of the counterpart frame members to reciprocate in unison on the coupler stem as ifv they were aunitary member. To this end each of the projections 21 may be provided with a. laterally extending, preferably tapering locking lug 24 with a recess 25 of similar form, the lug 24e-and recess 25 being arranged in vertical alinement and on'opposite sides of Athe hole 22 through which the bolt 23 passes. rl`he vertically extending faces 26 at the bases of the respective projections 24e are adapted to abut each other to thus maintain the forward ends of the counterpart members 18 in proper spaced relation. When assembled each lug 2-1 enters the corresponding recess 25 in the opposite counterpart member 18.

Near its rear end each of the frame members 18 is preferably provided with an inwardly extending projection 27. The inner endsof these projections stand opposite and are adapted to engage each other to maintain the counterpart members 18 in proper relationvat their rear ends. To prevent the lateral displacement of the slidable frame with respect to the stem 2 of the coupler upon which it is mounted, the side walls of each ofthe counterpart frame members 18 are preferably extended .vertically sufficountersinlrs 29 to receive the bolt head and nut.

A t its rear end each of the counterpart members 18 is provided with a lug 30 which projects laterally outward. As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and G, these lugs 30 are preferably fashioned with curved, vertically extending faces which are adapted tobe received in curved seats 31 with which the transversely extending frame member 19 is provided on its forward face. The curved seats 31 of the frame member 19 are preferably formed by fashioning this spring-seat member with a plurality of hooks, there being one hook at each end. rl`he hook portions of the spring seats 19, respectively overlap the projecting lugs 30 of the counterpart members 18 and engage the forward sides of said lugs, thus connecting said counterpart members against lateral separation.

The coupler head 1 is provided with a rearwardly opening tapering pocket 32 into which the forward ends 33 of the counterpart members 18 extend, the coupler head being provided with laterally extending vertical shoulders 34 against which the outer extremities of the members 18 bear when the coupler head occupies its normal position with respect to the coupler stem 2. rl`he contracting pocket 32 of the coupler head into which the counterpart members 18 extend thus assists in preventing the outer ends of the frame members 18 from separating.

T he mechanism may be assembled by positioning the spring 11 between the branches 6 of the coupler stem 2 and then bringing the frame member or spring seat 19 into proper relation with the forward end of said spring. rlChe spring cups or followers 7 are then inserted through the appropriateopenings 16 of the frame members 18 and the transversely extending spring 13 and the stop pin 17 within said spring` are placed in position. The forward ends of the counterpart frame members 18 being separated somewhat, the lugs 30 at the rear ends of said members are inserted in the curved seats 31 at the outer ends of the frame member 19 and the forward ends of the fame members 18 are then brought together until the projections 21 on said frame members last mentioned come into interfitting engagement. The bolt 23 may be then passed through the counterpart meinbers 18 and the nut applied thereto. rl`he coupler head 1 is then associated with the coupler stem 2 and the pivot pin 3 which connects the head and stem is inserted.

rlhc operation of the mechanism is as follows: l/V hen the car or other railway vehicle to which the mechanism is applied moves upon curved traclr the force appliedto the coupler head causes theV co-upler to be displaced laterally from its normal position in the longitudinal axis of the car. As the stem 2 of the coupler moves sidewise it carries with it one of the followers or springcups 7, being,` enabled so to do because of the engage-nent of the slidable frame with the flanges le at the base of the spring-cup. During this movement the other follower or spring-cup 7 is vprevented from retreating sincc it engages a stationary abutment 12 upon the railway vehicle. The springcups 7 thus approach each other and the transversely extending spring 13 which is interposed between them is, therefore, compressed. Upon the expansion of the spring 13 the resultant outward movement of the follower 7 which has been displaced from normal position, acting through the slidable frame causes the coupler stem 2 to be restored to its normal position in the longitudinalv axis of the car. When the coupler head 1 rotates with respect to the coupler stem, one or the other of the transversely extending vertical shoulders of said head bears against the forward end 33 of the adjacent counterpart frame member 18, thus causingfr the "entire frame to slide rearwardly upon the coupler stem. This compresses the longitudinally extending spring 1l, which is seated upon the transversely extending' sp ing-seat 19 forming the rear end of the frame. llllhen the force causing the displacement of the coupler head l ceases to act, the spring 11 is permitted to expand. rl`his restores the slidable frame to its normal position and returns the coupler head 1 to a centralized position with respect to the coupler stem. The described movements of the coupler stem and of the coupler head with respect'to the stem usually occur simultaneously. as will be readily appreciated.

l claim:

1. The combination with a car coupler having a stem and a head pivotallv mounted .hereon of a frame engaging said head and slidably mounted on said stem, means carried by said frame for centralizing said stem, and a spring yieldinglv supporting said frame, said frame involving separable members having engaging parts. and detachable means for connecting said separable members laterally, said detachable means beine' l)rovided with a plurality of hooks which respectively engage the said separable frame members.

slidably mounted on said stem, means car- Y ried by said frame for centralizing said stem, and a spring operatively interposed between said frame and stem, said frame involving counterpart members having interfitting portions and a member having curved seats which are adapted to respectively receive the rear ends of said counterpart members.

8. The combination with a car coupler having a stem and a head pivotally mounted thereon, of a frame engaging said head and slidably mounted on said stem. means carried by said frame for centralizing said stem, and a spring operatively interposed between said frame and stem and extending in the direction of length of said stem, said frame involving counterpart members having interlitting engagement at their forward ends and respectively provided at their rear ends with lugs which project laterally outward, and said frame also involving a member engaging the forward sides of said lugs and connecting said counterpart members.

si. The combination with a car coupler having a stem and a head pivotally mounted thereon, of a frame engaging said head and slidably mounted on said stem, a longitudinally extending spring interposed between said frame and said stem, followers carried by said frame and projecting laterally therethrough, and a transversely arranged spring interposed between said followers, said frame involving counterpart members having interfitting portions, each of said counterpart members having an aperture adapted to receive one of said followers and having an outwardly projecting lug at one end,

and said frame also involving a transversely extending,` member' having curved seats which 'are adapted to respectively receive said lugs.

5. The combination with a car coupler having a stem and a head pivotally mounted thereon, a frame slidablv mounted on said stem and engaging said head, a spring operatively interposed between said frame and stem, and means carried by said frame for centralizing said stem. said frame involving separable members which engage said coupler head. a transversely extending member provided with hoc-lied portions having overlappinn1 engagement with each of said separable frame members. at one end thereof, and transversely extending means passing through said separable frame members and cminecting` the same.

fn testimony whereof l a'l'lix my signature.

JUHN F. PltlCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

